1st Battalion The Border Regiment

Abbreviations

2IC

6581

Airfd

Amn
Arty

A Tk

Bde

Bty

Cmd

Comd

Conf

Coy

Div

Infmn

LZ
MDS

MMG

Offr

O Gp

Pdr

Posn

RAP

Rds

Recce

Regt

Rly

Sqn

Stn

X-rds

Second-in-Command

Map Reference

Airfield

Ammunition

Artillery

Anti-Tank

Brigade

Battalion

Battery

Commander

Commanding Officer

Commander

Conference

Company

Division / Divisional

Farm

Group

Information

Light

Landing Zone

Main Dressing Station

Machine Gun

Medium Machine Gun

Officer Commanding

Officer

Orders Group

Other Ranks

Pounder

Platoon

Position

Regimental Aid Post

Road

Rounds

Royal Engineers

Reconnaissance

Regiment

Railway

Rendezvous

Self-Propelled

Squadron

Station

Crossroads

All ranks briefed. Bn standing by for take-off. Glider Pilots checked all loads.

1000 - Bde Comd visited camp and decided to move Bn owing to bad condition of camp due to rain.

1100 - Bde Cmd spoke to assembled ORs of Bn. Normal routine and training commences again.

Intimation of operation No.16 MARKET. Orders to commence re-loading gliders at BROADWELL, DOWN AMPNEY, BLAKEHILL FM.

1740 - Survivors of Bn landed at WOODHALL SPA Airfd in fleet of C 47 (DAKOTAS) direct from BRUSSELS and took up residence in ROUGHTON MOOR CAMP. Survivors numbered 9 Offrs and 231 O.R.

Remnants of Bn settled in to camp and ferreted out all possible news of casualties. Information very difficult to obtain owing to the peculiar characteristics of the ARNHEM campaign.

The Bn was re-organised into 4 Coys - HQ - S - A - C with small Reinforcement Coy.

At 0700 hrs the Bn embussed for the airfields with the exception of one rifle pl and five glider loads of the Tpt Pl not due to leave till 18 Sep; Bn strength 41 offrs 754 OR.

0945 hrs: First glider took off from BROADWELL, followed by C Coy and BB Mortar Pl from BLAKEHILL FARM. Good flying weather, with slight ground mist.

1315 hrs: All gliders less six landed safely with one exception in which one man was injured, but the load was taken out undamaged. Uneventful flight with light flak and small arms fire directed against aircraft when nearing LZ at 6581. COs glider did not arrive. B Coy captured three marines and two MGs 34 in Rly Stn at BUUNDERKAMP 6481. Otherwise no opposition. Bn moved to positions as follows and dug in:-

Bn HQ

A Coy

B Coy

C Coy

D Coy

JONKERSHOEVE 6479

area Wood 6480

area RENKUM 6276

area Wood 6579

area X-rds 633784

0700 hrs: B Coy, after inflicting some casualties, were heavily mortared and all vehicles were destroyed by 1400 hrs. All communications with Bn were cut off, but some messages reached D Coy by wireless. After houses had caught fire in coy area the coy were ordered to withdraw towards HEELSUM 6477 by main road. However, being almost surrounded the coy were forced to move along North bank of NEDER RIJN leaving all supporting arms behind, with the exception of MMGs which were carried out.

By 1700 hrs the coy had reached 648776 and were held up by mortar fire, but eventually passed through C Coy at 665780 on way to Phase II posn.

D Coy were mortared and attacks by enemy pls throughout the day, but repulsed all attacks with help of Lt Bty firing on LAURA 6378.

At 1100 hrs LZ 'Z' was bombed and machine gunned by 30 ME 109 and at 1500 hrs second glider lift started to come in. MG 34s opened up from LAURA, but were silenced by mortar and MMG fire from C Coy. Some casualties were incurred in the gliders when unloading.

At 1900 hrs Bn moved off LZ 'Z' to Phase II posn. Many gliders by this time were in flames. All gliders had now arrived, including those missing from first day, with the exception of the CO.

By 0515 hrs the Bn was dug in at the following positions with 5 A tk guns from 2 S Staffords and 2 x 17 pdr guns from Bde HQ under comd.

Bn HQ

A Coy

B Coy

C Coy

D Coy

in house at 682785

in area GRAFTOMBE 6878

in area WEG 6877

astride main rd at 679784

in area high ground ZILVERENBERG 6778

Bn posn was fairly quiet to 1900 hrs with reports from wireless and Recce Sqn that enemy forces were forming up in area of HEELSUM and NOERDBERG 6476. Bn HQ was strafed by 12 ME 109 at 1500 hrs with no casualties inflicted, and at 1600 hrs re-supply was carried out by RAF, many panniers being picked up in Bn posn. At 1730 hrs Bn HQ moved to house and woods at 690783. All coy posns were attacked at approx 1900 hrs, but all attacks were repulsed.

B Coy

C Coy

D Coy

one pl at 685770 - remainder in area X-rds 688772

area KOUDE HERBERG X-rds 6878

area road 686775

...infantry attacked C Coy who were forced to withdraw, but counter-attacked and regained their posns. At 1730 hrs re-supply was carried out by RAF and panniers etc were collected from Bn area. At 1930 hrs C Coy were again heavily attacked, but enemy were driven off. B and D Coys had heavy shell and mortar fire, but otherwise nothing to report. A quiet night with occasional mortar fire of nuisance value only.

From 0530 hrs northern part of Bn posn, including A and C Coys and Bn HQ were heavily shelled. Mortar fire caused many casualties, but our arty fire broke up all attempts by enemy to attack. D Coy re-pulsed infantry and tank attacks with the aid of the Lt Bty. B Coy posn at 685770 was heavily attacked at 0900 hrs and after three tanks had been destroyed, the enemy forced a platoon off the high ground, and the remainder of the coy, after an unsuccessful counter attack, were forced back to house at HEMELSCHE BERG 689776 and wood at 693774. Two platoons from HQ Coy under OC HQ Coy were sent to stabilise the situation. The coy regained some lost ground, and re-formed on forward edge of wood at 692774 to the house and clearing at HEMELSCHE BERG. OC B Coy and a party of approx two pls in strength moved in direction of X-rds at 688772 and all contact with them was lost. Nothing further was heard of this party of the remainder of the operation. At 1900 hrs attacks were made on A and C Coy posns, but were driven off. Remainder of night was quiet except for mortar and occasional shell fire. Food getting very short - one box of Compo per coy issued - the last in Bn reserve.

From 0545 hrs the Bn area was the target of all types of mortar and shell fire including that from SP guns. All vehicles, less two jeeps and one motor-cycle at Bn HQ were destroyed. At 0910 hrs a direct hit on Bn amn dump caused considerable damage, and the fire enabled accurate registration by enemy mortars so that any movement from slit trenches resulted in casualties. At 1200 hrs the acting 2IC took a composite force of Border and S Staffords men to B Coy position to clear woods and hold the South-Western approach to the Divisional area. This force was known as "Breeseforce". The Glider Pilot Regt formed a second defence line from "Breeseforce" West of D Coy posn, and contacted C Coy's Southern flank. A and C Coys fought off many attacks during day, medium and heavy artillery of Second Army being of considerable help. At 1600 hrs D Coy reported posn as almost surrounded, and only two offrs and 35 OR still capable of fighting. There was no withdrawal. Food, amn and supplies were almost non-existent. There were no attacks on Bn posn after 1930 hrs, but mortar and shell fire continued throughout the night.

By 0200 hrs A Coy had been reinforced by 14 men from Div reserve to replace men sent with "Breeseforce", and were linked to C Coy by a small party of RE. At 0520 hrs the whole Bn posn was the target for very heavy mortar and shellfire and this continued till approx 1200 hrs when A and C Coys were attacked in strength by infantry and SP guns, and flame-thrower tanks. The North flank of A Coy was turned, all officers wounded, and situation very grave. One pl from area Bn HQ under Mortar Gp Comd helped to stem the enemy advance, and by 1530 hrs A Coy were back in original posns. C Coy beat off enemy attacks, and by 1920 hrs situation was almost normal. All coys had considerable casualties, and D Coy were reduced to 25 all ranks. Patrols could not contact the coy owing to enemy infiltration into woods, and wireless was only source of communication. All vehicles had been destroyed, so no further evacuation of wounded from RAP to MDS was possible. The re-supply at 1715 hrs was NOT successful. The night was very quiet, but active patrols could not contact D Coy. 30 Poles from South of River reinforced South flank of C Coy during day.

Except for mortar fire and occasional shelling there was nothing of importance to report. The enemy made no determined attacks except against A and C Coys at 1905 hrs, which were both repulsed. No food left, Bn amn reserve down to 2,500 rds .303. C Coy now using approx 50% enemy arms and amn. D Coy reduced to 19 all ranks.

From 0600 hrs enemy mortar and shell fire were prelude to attacks on A and C Coys. Arty fire again broke up these attacks before they could penetrate coy areas. At 1330 hrs CO was informed of Div plan to withdraw all troops to South bank of NEDER RIJN under protection of "Breeseforce" and the Dorset Regiment, who had crossed the river during the night. At 1530 hrs a message was received from D Coy that enemy were putting in a heavy attack on their posn. Nothing was heard of this coy after 1600 hrs when posn was being overwhelmed by greatly superior enemy force. At 2000 hrs recce party set off to the river to establish a Bn RV. At approx 2200, after very heavy shellfire, A Coy were attacked by infantry. Troops on Northern flank of B Coy had already withdrawn towards river, so it was decided to send off Bn HQ, S Coy and all walking wounded from RAP, starting at 2240, with A and C Coys holding posns till 2250, and 2300 hrs respectively. C Coy put in an attack at 2300 hrs, and started to withdraw at 2310, and were in Bn rearguard party. The move South through the woods was carried out under shell fire, but all troops reached the "flats" at 693773 without further casualties. The discipline of the Bn was beyond praise, especially during the long wait on the "flats".

By 0500 hrs the enemy were directing heavy fire on North bank of "flats" with MGs and Mortars and guns. The last known men from the Bn swam across the river at 0515 hrs. Tps made their own way along marked route to MDS at LIENDEN 6870 from whence they were taken by vehicles to NIJMEGEN for food and rest. By 1800 hrs the Bn was collected under one roof. Bn strength was 9 offrs and 241 ORs. At NIJMEGEN it was learnt that the one missing glider with the CO had landed safely by ESCAUT CANAL, and that CO had crossed to the North bank of NEDER RIJN with the Dorset Regiment.